Individuals often have items which they no longer want but which are in good enough condition that they do not need to be thrown away. Other individuals may be motivated to purchase such second-hand items because they are in good condition and because they can be purchased second-hand at a price which may be substantially less than that which would be paid for the same item purchased new. The item, though not brand new, may still have significant useful life left in it.
Various forums have been developed to facilitate exchanges between buyers and sellers of second-hand items. For example, individuals may accumulate items they wish to sell and then hold a garage sale. Likewise, classified advertisements have been used to allow sellers to place an advertisement for their second-hand items according to a classification scheme developed by the newspaper (or other media) that hosts the classified advertisement.
With the advent of the Internet, various additional forums have been developed that facilitate exchanges between buyers and sellers of second-hand items. For example, on-line auction sites have been developed in which sellers may make items available in an auction format to buyers, and buyers are allowed to place bids on the items being sold. Likewise, on-line classified advertisement forums have been developed that are similar to classified advertisement forums found in non-Internet media, such as newspapers.
In general, for any forum that attempts to bring together buyers and sellers of second-hand items, an ongoing challenge is to make the exchange as simple, and easy as possible for all parties involved. From the standpoint of the seller, if too much time and effort is required to find an interested buyer, the seller may simply decide to throw away its unwanted item. From the standpoint of a buyer, if too much time and effort are required to find second-hand items, the buyer may decide to buy what it needs new.
An ongoing need exists for systems and methods that facilitate the exchange of items between buyers and sellers. It should be noted that, while certain advantages and features are described, the teachings herein may be used to implement systems and methods that do not have any of the advantages and features, but rather which have other advantages and features.